


An Order to Things

by Dangersocks



Category: Welcome to Night Vale
Genre: Bad Things Happen To Carlos, Character Death, Desert Bluffs, Episode: e019b The Sandstorm, Episode: s01e01 Pilot, Gen, Headcanon Accepted, Hugs, Non-Graphic Violence, Strexcorp
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-12-21
Updated: 2013-12-21
Packaged: 2018-01-05 08:26:48
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,281
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1091754
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Dangersocks/pseuds/Dangersocks
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>In Desert Bluffs there is an order to things and that's usually something a scientist can get all over...</p>
            </blockquote>





	An Order to Things

Carlos tries to keep his breathing level. It would be unprofessional to panic. So far, most of the people in Desert Bluffs have displayed surreal reactions to the findings made by Carlos and his Team. They had come to Desert Bluffs to, once and for all, prove to the scientific community whether or not the strange reports that were recieved were valid or not. Carlos had not expected to find so many anomalies and so quickly.

He works mostly alone now, with his friends stuck studying the lot with the house that should be there, but is not. They had left him with seismology and now: the search for materials. He would have been alright with that had the equipment worked as it should. Everything is off the charts, though.

He reminds himself to breathe. To keep from panic. By observing with his eyes, everything is normal. More than normal. Everything is productive and perfect and quaint. Nobody else seems concerned, so Carlos should behave accordingly as he collects his readings.

He represses the urge to recalibrate his machine. He is the one who had designed it in college and he knows that it's been checked and rechecked today. Reason dictates that his machine is correct. He sighs and points it at the door to the Desert Bluffs Community Radio station. 

He really should go meet the so-called voice of Desert Bluffs. It would come in handy with reporting findings or asking for the community’s help. Stepping inside Carlos meets a young woman with pale skin and deep lines under her eyes.

"Sorry," he starts. "I’m Carlos, one of the scientists. Is…is it Kevin? Is he in?"

She stares at him, and then her confused look morphs into a grin. It is a very wide grin and it stretches her face. “Please, come in. He’s in the studio, but commercials are on so it's alright to visit.”

A vague sense of wrong touches Carlos at her falseness, but his box distracts him. It sings and blinks far more insistently now. As he follows the cheerful intern down the hall, Carlos marvels at how frantic his box is. He reminds himself not to get excited. He needs to maintain professionalism. First impressions and all…

He’s got a theory forming — about radio waves and something the science-community hasn’t yet named. His mind tries to word it in the absolute best sentence so he could present it to his Team when he finds himself outside of a door and the intern is mysteriously gone.

The door is wood with a frosted glass window pane. He can see vague outlines inside, but Carlos is certain that he has been noticed, betrayed by the blinking blue light and alarm-like beeping he’s producing. He knocks anyhow. His hand is steady.

A shape inside shifts, as if on a swivel chair. Then rises. A tall figure approaches the door and opens it up. Carlos stares at the one who he’s heard as Kevin and he offers a smile.

"Hi, I’m Carlos. With the scientists. I’m, uh, scanning for materials. Would it be intrusive if I stepped into your studio? During the show would be most helpful." He holds up his box as if it will sell the request for him. It screams as if it’s dying. Carlos doesn’t do the same.

Kevin has dark eyes and is as pale as his intern. He listens, eyes Carlos and then beams. It is a very wide smile, full of teeth. “Of course, come in!”

Carlos is grateful to have the welcome. He steps into the room and notices first the smell. He can’t quite place the name for the scent. The lighting is dim and there are muted, burgundy tones to the panels and wallpaper. The floor is a rusty colour and everything seems to set Kevin in an even paler tone. 

Two steps closer to the desk with the microphone -- also rusted, along with an electrical panel that is oddly dirty -- when Kevin shuts the door. It is a heavy sounding click and it is in that instant that Carlos’ box grows silent.

The suddenness of this change makes Carlos freeze. He frowns, first with his brows. He looks down wondering if the batteries have died. It’s never done this before. No. A red light indicates power. The box is just quiet.

The hair on his neck is standing up. Maybe this is a phenomena they haven’t explored yet -- like the earthquakes nobody feels or the house that isn’t there. He isn’t panicking and he’s proud of himself.

Oh, he remembers that smell. It’s iron. Like dried blo--

Carlos turns, not yet certain if he’s going to ask Kevin about the dried blood that’s everywhere or to explain with some sort of apology the strange behaviour of his sensor. Maybe it’s to articulate the thought of danger which he can’t quite acknowledge while denying it -- it lurks around his senses with a resigned sense of urgency.

He finds Kevin in his personal space.

There are words he doesn’t say. There’s a feeling he has never felt. He looks down.

If Kevin is talking, Carlos cannot hear him. He is distracted instead by the thought that he likes his perfect lab coat and that it shouldn’t look as if it’s holding in parts of Carlos that belong inside of Carlos. There’s an order to things and…

And…

There’s an order to things.

Breathing is a good idea, though suddenly hard to do. His box is…floor. Knees buckling. Kevin.

Kevin?

So much blood.

Floor.

Send help, Kevin?

_—always have a place with us here._

So much blood.

Fl--

_*_

_The new scientist, Carlos, came into our studio during the break. How fortunate for us all, as I had been waiting for someone to help with the redecorating. If you will recall, our contract negotiation is coming up and in order to be pro-active and productive, I thought it best that we not wait for StrexCorp™ to determine what funding should be allocated to our beloved station’s interior designs. StrexCorp™ has enough to worry about and loves us very much._

_Carlos knocked at my door just as I had been contemplating how we could best anticipate StrexCorp™'s needs and very politely asked if he could step inside and check for something called materials. Of course, I told him. We are all about progress here and I am glad to see some of his team branching out beyond the investigation of that house that should exist behind the Desert Bluff's elementary school. He had a box with him, listeners. It blinked and hummed and sang while he stood at the door, but when he stepped into my little studio and approached the desk, the box grew quiet. And Carlos too, grew quiet. He seemed very perplexed at the reaction and the silence hung in the air like a sense of satisfaction one gets at a job well done, or a gift that's been given. Desert Bluffs, I can tell you I will never get tired of that feeling. We live in a truly great place and sometimes the things we need and the things we seek just fall into our ready hands._

_I think Carlos understood that as well when I took the opportunity to welcome him to our community with a big hug. He will always have a place with us here._

_Settling in to be a cloudy night over our little community. I hope all of you out there have someone to spend it with, or high hopes that such a person will find you or be found by you soon._

_Until next time, Desert Bluffs._

_Until next time._

**Author's Note:**

> This was a quick and awful way to celebrate 100 people following me on Tumblr, a milestone that still terrifies me as much as it baffles me.
> 
> But I did get to play with the worst headcanon I have ever accepted. So, ya know, a good day.


End file.
